“When you wear the wrong shoes on Capitol Hill”: a dozen tiktokeurs wandered the halls of the United States Congress on Wednesday filming themselves to oppose the ban on the application. On the platform, some influencers with millions of subscribers claim to have been “brought” to Washington by the Chinese platform itself.
Many US elected officials, both Republican and Democrat, believe that the popular video platform, owned by the Chinese group Bytedance, allows Beijing to access sensitive user data. They have introduced several bills in recent weeks to ban the app, which has more than 150 million users in the United States.
Operation “KeepTikTok”
Several TikTok influencers traveled to the US capital this week to vehemently oppose the ban. “We are in Washington, you can see the Capitol right there,” launches the tiktoker @countrylather2020, in a video accompanied by the hashtag #KeepTikTok (#GardezTikTok). “We’re hoping to talk to some senators,” says one whose account specializes in soap making.
The app’s chief, Shou Chew, will be heard by US elected officials on Thursday. Still as part of the “KeepTiKTok” operation, it was staged with personalities from the platform, such as Janette Ok (1.7 million subscribers).
While the use of TikTok is prohibited for public officials in many countries, the National Assembly alerted lawmakers to the dangers of foreign apps on March 20. Since its inception, TikTok has allowed Chinese employees to view the personal data of European users. A practice that the company does not intend to change in the future.
Source: BFM TV
